1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an operating mechanism for a circuit breaker, and more particularly, to a slide toggle type arrangement for the operation thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several circuit breakers are mounted in a control center for power consuming devices such as motors. Each of these circuit breakers are vertically mounted with their switching handles being movable in a vertical plane. Conventionally, the "ON" position is "UP" for the switch handle and the "OFF" is "DOWN" for the switch handle.
Presently, each of these circuit breakers are operated by an operating mechanism having a toggle handle which extends through the door or cover of the control center. The toggle handle extends outwardly for movement in an upward and downward direction in a vertical plane. This movement of the toggle handle causes the toggle mechanism to move the switch handle of the circuit breaker in a parallel fashion in a vertical plane where the "UP" position is "ON" for the circuit breaker and the "DOWN" position is "OFF". An extreme down position of the handle is used to reset the circuit breaker.
Conventionally, this operating mechanism is attached to the circuit breaker by a frame for insertion and removal as a unit from the control center. This unit is placed on a shelf in the control center, and the toggle handle protrudes through an opening in the door of the control center. An example of such a circuit breaker assembly with an operating mechanism attached to the circuit breaker by a frame is disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,624 entitled "Control Center with Insulated Bus Bars", which issued Dec. 11, 1979 to J. R. Wilson, et al.
Present day operating mechanisms may be of the slide/toggle type as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,624 or of the rotary type. In both types, the operation of the external toggle handle is in line with and parallel to the circuit breaker. That is, if the breaker is mounted vertically in the control center, the circuit breaker is operated by moving the toggle handle in a vertical plane as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,164, and conversely, if the circuit breaker is mounted horizontally, the circuit breaker is operated by moving the toggle handle in a horizontal plane.
In today's market, there an is increasing amount of pressure to mount the circuit breakers and/or the power control centers in a more economical and compact fashion. As a result, these control centers or circuit breaker units are being redesigned to mount some or all of their components horizontally as opposed to the traditional vertical type mounting.
Presently, there exists no operating mechanism for the operation of a circuit breaker in the traditional "vertical sense," where "ON" is the "UP" position and "OFF" is in the "DOWN" position for the toggle handle, when the circuit breaker is mounted horizontally in a control center. When a circuit breaker is placed horizontally in a control center, the present day type of operating mechanism is moved back and forth in a horizontal plane for operation of the circuit breaker as discussed herein above.